1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper ejector unit, a printer, and particularly to an improved mechanism which does not allow a user to touch paper while printing.
2. Description of Related Art
A paper ejector unit for use in a printed paper-issuing machine such as a ticket-vending machine is configured to prevent the paper from being pulled by a user while printing.
Patent Document 1 (JP2011-98795A) proposes a technique which temporarily holds the printed paper between an exit slot serving as an end-of-transport path from which the paper is ejected and a printing mechanism or a cutter by deflecting the printed paper, prevents the paper from being ejected from the exit slot before the printing is over, and ejects the deflected and held paper from the exit slot after the printing is over. Patent Document 2 (JP S59-118061U) proposes a technique which does not allow a user to touch paper while printing by providing a door in a paper accumulator in which a paper ejected from the exit slot is accumulated, and maintaining the door in a closed condition while printing the paper.
According to these techniques, a problem due to pulling of paper can be avoided because a user cannot touch the paper while printing.
However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a certain amount of distance between the exit slot and the printing mechanism or the cutter in order to provide a standby space for paper between the exit slot and the printing mechanism or the cutter. For this reason, the unit cannot be downsized.
The technique described in Patent Document 1 also requires many components such as a transport roller in order to provide the standby space, which makes it difficult to reduce manufacturing costs.
Furthermore, the standby space has a portion with no transport path. With this configuration, it is necessary to use paper having a length which is longer than the portion with no transport path in order to allow the passing of paper over the portion with no transport path, and it is necessary to ensure a blank space to some extent even if information to be printed is small.
With the technique described in Patent Document 2, the paper is pulled based on a user's judgment.
Namely, the user recognizes that the printing is completed when the user can open the door by touch, and can pull the paper. On the other hand, the printing is not completed when the user cannot open the door, so the user must touch the door again after a while to see whether or not the door can be opened.
For this reason, the user cannot accurately recognize a pulling timing of the paper, and is forced to touch the door several times.